CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM TRANSITIONS TO CHAOS FOR A FAMILY OF PERIODICALLY DRIVEN HAMILTONIANS

The classical and quantum behaviors of a family of periodically driven hamiltonians are compared. By the resonance overlap criterion the per turbation field strength epsilon(c) for the classical chaotic transiti on is estimated. The quantum spectral transition is analyzed in terms of the photonic approximation. From the validity of the photonic appro ximation and quantum delocalization condition the functional dependenc e of epsilon(c) is recovered in a purely quantum way. (C) 1996 Academi c Press, Inc.